Around the Blogosphere This Week

Miscellaneous bits of news and fun stuff from around the internet...

...A few days ago I rewatched THE WALKING HILLS (1949), a Randolph Scott-Ella Raines film which I first watched and reviewed here over a decade ago, in 2010. Like some other films, it was a good illustration for me of the value of occasionally revisiting films I don't connect with strongly on first viewing. (A FOREIGN AFFAIR is another example.) Last time around there were certain things I liked about the movie but overall I found it somewhat baffling, with several unlikeable characters on a fool's quest, and then there was also the odd part about not getting medical care for a man who'd been shot... Watching it in a new context, including much greater familiarity with the work of the entire cast and the director, I found it an enjoyable and interesting study of how people act when motivated by stress and greed. And how 'bout that shovel fight?! Seen here in the film are Scott, Raines, William Bishop, and John Ireland.

...This November Julie Andrews will be honored with the American Film Institute's Life Achievement Award. The ceremony was postponed from April 2020.

...A new biography, THE REAL DIANA DORS by Anna Cale, will be released in the U.S. fall. Another biography of the British actress, DIANA DORS: HURRICANE IN MINK by David Bret, was released last year.

...There is hope for Hollywood's ArcLight theaters and the Cinerama Dome, which were announced last month to be permanently closed.

...New from the U.S. Postal Service: STAR WARS "droids" postage stamps.

...Raquel Stecher has a fun YouTube "unboxing" video up celebrating her recent Warner Archive sale "Mega Haul." Lots of great movie suggestions! (And I enjoyed the shout-out regarding JACKASS MAIL -- I need to upgrade my copy to the Warner Archive DVD!)

...Podcast of interest: Dick Dinman's DVD Classics Corner on the Air, discussing the recent Warner Archive Blu-ray release of SHOW BOAT (1951) with George Feltenstein, formerly of the Warner Archive. My enthusiastic review of the SHOW BOAT Blu-ray may be read here.

...Mick LaSalle's new book DREAM STATE: CALIFORNIA IN THE MOVIES, to be published in just a few days, is a "must" for me given the quality of his pre-Code histories COMPLICATED WOMEN and DANGEROUS MEN.

...The Los Angeles Times recently wrote about the proposed Chaplin Keaton Lloyd Alley in Hollywood. For more on this, I linked to a Hollywood Reporter story last June.

..."Coming soon" from Kino Lorber Studio Classics: MONSIEUR BEAUCAIRE (1946), starring Bob Hope and Joan Caulfield.

...Among other recent Kino Lorber announcements, I'm especially happy that a big favorite of mine, NO TIME FOR LOVE (1943), starring Claudette Colbert and Fred MacMurray, will be released on Blu-ray August 3rd. It will have a commentary track by Nick Pinkerton. Colbert and MacMurray's THE BRIDE COMES HOME (1935) will be released on July 20th with a commentary by Lee Gambin, and Colbert's ARISE, MY LOVE (1940), a film with Ray Milland which I previously mentioned as "coming soon," has also now been announced for August 3rd, with a commentary track by Kat Ellinger.

...Glenn Erickson's latest CineSavant reviews of Warner Archive Blu-ray releases include BROADWAY MELODY OF 1940 (1940), which I recently reviewed, and THEY WON'T BELIEVE ME (1947), which I'll be reviewing in the near future. Glenn did a fantastic job comparing the edited version of THEY WON'T BELIEVE ME with the Blu-ray, which restores 15 long-missing minutes, and explains every restored cut.

...At Pre-Code.com, Danny has an audio interview with Bruce Goldstein of New York's Film Forum on -- what else?! -- Pre-Code cinema. I haven't had a chance to listen yet myself and look forward to it; in his preview Danny also mentions that Goldstein discusses one of my favorite film historians, William K. Everson.

...Attention Southern Californians: The New Beverly Cinema, the revival theater owned by director Quentin Tarantino, is set to reopen on June 1st.  (The accompanying photo was taken by me in 2014.)

...Notable Passings: Actress Olympia Dukakis has passed on at the age of 89. She won the Best Supporting Actress Oscar for MOONSTRUCK (1987). Her best-known films also included STEEL MAGNOLIAS (1989) and MR. HOLLAND'S OPUS (1995).

...For additional recent links of interest to classic film fans, please check out my May 1st roundup.

...Please note that next weekend there will not be an Around the Blogosphere column on May 15th since I will be traveling. The next link roundup column will appear on May 22nd.

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